ASM America, Inc. v. Genus, Inc.

Good Law

260 F. Supp. 2d 827·2002 WL 32089217·2002 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 26273

United States District Court, Northern District of CaliforniaNovember 14, 2002C-01-2190 EDLCalifornia15,661 words

Opinion

Laporte, J.

ORDER RE: CLAIM CONSTRUCTION OF UNITED STATES PATENT NO. 4,798,165

Currently before the Court is the parties’ dispute over the proper construction of United States Patent No. 4,798,165 (“the ’165 patent”).

I. Background

Plaintiffs ASM America, Inc. and Arthur Sherman (collectively, “ASM”) have filed suit against defendant Genus, Inc. (“Genus”) for patent infringement. According to the complaint, ASM invents, manufactures, and sells equipment for use in making integrated circuits. ASM’s products include atomic layer chemical vapor deposition (“ALCVD”) machines, which are used to form exceptionally thin layers of insulating material, conducting material, and semi-conducting material using a technique generally known as Atomic Layer Deposition (“ALD”) or Atomic Layer Epitaxy (“ALE”). Genus allegedly manufactures, offers for sale, and sells ALD process and equipment in competition with ASM’s ALCVD process and equipment.

ASM contends that Genus is infringing three patents: United States Patents Nos. 6,015,590 (“the ’590 patent”), 5,916,365 (“the ’365 patent”), and the ’165 patent. ASM alleges that it owns the ’590 and ’165 patents, and has enforceable rights in the ’365 patent.…

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